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Pujols holds steady in All-Star vote

Pujols holds steady in All-Star vote

As the balloting goes on, Albert Pujols steadily holds his position. In the second round of All-Star voting results, announced on Monday, Pujols is in first place among National League first basemen.

Pujols, 27, is aiming for his sixth All-Star appearance in seven Major League seasons. Unlike some seasons, he's not clearly a slam-dunk choice -- witness chasers like Prince Fielder and Derrek Lee, who are enjoying huge seasons.

So if Cardinals fans want to keep their man in the lead, they'll need to get out, or get online, and vote for the 2005 National League MVP.

Scott Rolen also holds onto a chance at selection, as his hot streak continued over the past week. Rolen remains in fifth place among National League third basemen, though he's in a tough group. The contenders ahead of him are David Wright, Miguel Cabrera, Chipper Jones and Aramis Ramirez.

Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 25 times with the Monster 2007 All-Star Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 club sites until Thursday, June 28th at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Fans will again be given the opportunity to cast an All-Star vote immediately following the 2007 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show Presented by Chevrolet, which will be televised by Turner Sports on Sunday, July 1. Baseball fans around the world will be able to select the final player on each All-Star team via the Monster.com 2007 All-Star Final Vote.

Selecting the rosters isn't the end of the fun in 2007, either. Concluding the All-Star balloting process, fans will have the opportunity to participate in the official voting for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player presented by Chevrolet at the All-Star Game via the Monster.com 2007 All-Star Game MVP Vote at MLB.com.

The All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB.com will offer extensive online coverage and MLB Radio will have exclusive play-by-play coverage of the game on the Internet.

Catcher Yadier Molina, bidding for his first All-Star berth, saw his chances virtually end during the past week. Molina has been sidelined with a broken bone in his wrist, which is likely to keep him out for 4-6 weeks. That will surely keep him off the roster until the teams are announced, and possibly until the game itself.

David Eckstein, who ranked in the top 5 among NL shortstop candidates last week, has fallen from among the leaders. Eckstein missed time due to injury this week, but he's been hitting the ball well. If he turns it on again -- and if fans come to his aid -- he could well get back in the picture.

Likewise, Jim Edmonds, a four-time All-Star, took a dip this week. Edmonds fell from 10th among outfielders to 12th, despite an ongoing hot streak. Edmonds went deep in four out of six games towards the end of May.

Also on the ballot for the Cardinals are second baseman Adam Kennedy, outfielder Chris Duncan and outfielder Juan Encarnacion. However, none ranks among the leaders at his position.

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.